Massaging machine



y 1930. w. F. HENDRY I 1,758,663

MASSAGING MACHINE Filed Feb. 8, 1928 INVENTOR. W LIAM F- HEptbRy BYWt4 ATTORNEY Patented May 13, 1936 .UNBI E E WILLIAM F. HENLEY, OF OSSINING, NEW

YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HALLIWELL-SHELTON ELECTRIC CORPORJLTZON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MASSAGING MACHINE Application filed February This invention relates to exercising or massaging machines.

An objectof the invention is the provision of a machine for exercising the muscles of the body and removing excess flesh, through vibratory motion imparted to the body through a strap. More specifically itis an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of motor mechanism for vibrating a massaging strap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine wherein the amplitude of vibration of the massaging strap can be adjusted.

A further object is the provision of a machine having a power mechanism enclosed in a housing and a vibrating member driven thereby extending through the wall of the housing and adapted adjustably to connect with a massaging belt, so that the amplitude of vibration of the belt can be varied at will without opening the housing.

These and other objects and advantages and the manner of attaining them will be made clear in the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Fig. 1 illustrates partly in vertical section a massaging machine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1 with the housing cut away.

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 1 indicates a base plate on which is mounted an electric motor 2 having a shaft 3 extending out at each end thereof. Attached to each end of said shaft is an eccentric 4: which has cooperating therewith an eccentric strap 5, which may be supported on the eccentric by ball bearings or other suitable anti-friction means. Secured to the eccentric strap is a lever arm 6 which attaches at its free end to another lever arm 7 which is pivotally mounted in a bearing 8 secured to the base plate 1. This second lever arm 7 has a plurality of holes 9 therein for the attachment of a massaging belt or strap 10, which may be provided with suitable connecting means such as snaps 11. For the 8, 1928. Serial No. 252,799.

purpose of prevent ng vibration a counterbalance weight 12 is attached to each end of the motor shaft 3 in such position as to balance the weight of the eccentric and eccentric strap. The mechanism attached to the two ends of the motor shaft is the same, except that the eccentric on one end of the motor shaft is 180 out of step with the eccentric on the other end of the shaft. The base plate 1 is provided with a plurality of ears 13 by means of which the entire mechanism can be screwed or otherwise attached to a table or the floor as desired, and may be supported by rubber feet 20. The motor and moving parts are entirely enclosed by a housing I l which extends down over the base plate 1 and is attached thereto in a suitable manner, for example. by means of screws 15.

For preventing the machine from being moved due to the pulling on the strap 10 during use of the machine, if it is not desired to screw the machine to a table or the like, any suitable means may be provided, for example, a holding strap 16 may be riveted to the ends of the housing 14. This strap can be passed around any stationary object 17 for holding the machine in a given position.

The motor 2 may be supplied with current through a wire 18 having intermediate its ends a switch 19 for controlling the current flow to the motor.

It will be noted that the lever arm 7 extends partly inside and partly outside of the housing 14. Thus while the machine is in operation and the lever 7 oscillating there is no danger of the user having his fingers caught between said lever and the housing since said lever has at all times a portion thereof within the housing. This construction keeps the majority of the working parts of the machine within the housing, only a small portion of the lever arm 7 projecting outside of the casing and this portion serving as a connection for the massaging strap. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 the throw of the eccentric 4 is such that the entire movement of the lever arm 6 takes place within the housing. During the use of the machine the amplitude of vibration of the strap 10 can be varied by connecting the snap 11 in the different ones of the holes 9. WV hen vigorous movement of the strap is desired the connection would, of course, be made to the hole farthest away from the bearing 8, while for a gentle action of the massagin strap connection would be made to one of the holes 9 nearer to the bearing 8.

The machine is used by passing the strap 10 around a portion of the body and starting the motor while at he same time drawing the body against the strap to give the desired action. IVh'ile the machine is being used and heavy pressure is being exerted on the strap 10 it may be found necessary to secure the machine in position to prevent movement thereof. The machine can be secured in any suitable manner as stated above, for example, by means of the ears 13 it may be screwed to a table or the floor or might be h ld in position by attachment to some stationary object such as a steam pipe 17, by suitable means such as the holding strap 16.

By virtue of the construction shown a very simple machine results. As there are but few easily lubricated parts there is no neces sity of large amounts of oil or grease, and as the parts needing lubrication are inside the housing, there is no danger of oil or grease getting on the outside of the machine.

It is convenient to have the switch 19 in the current supply cord as it can then be held in the hand and the motor started or stopped, regardless of the position of the ma chine relative to the operator.

A specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated merely for the purpose of showing a preferred form of the invention and it is to be understood that various modifications and adaptations such as would occur to one skilled in the art, may be made without departure from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a massaging machine, a housing, a pair of slots in said housing, a wide lever arm pivotally mounted in each of said slots with a portion projecting inside and a portion pro jecting outside of said housing, the pivot point being substantially in line with the plane of the housing adjacent the slot so that the lever at all times entirely fills the slot the outwardly projecting portions of the lever arm being provided with connecting points for a massaging belt and the inwardly projecting portion of said lever arms being connected to a motor means for rocking the arms.

2. A massaging machine comprising a motor, an eccentric attached to each end of said motor shaft, an eccentric strap around each eccentric, a lever arm pivotally connected to said strap and to a fixed point, said lever arm having a plurality of connecting arrangements between the points 01 attachment to said strap and to said fixed point, and

a massaging strap having means for attaching its ends to any one of said plurality of connecting arrangements.

3. In a massaging machine, a housing, a slot in said housing, a lever arm having a connection for a massaging strap positioned in said slot and mounted for rocking movement so that the edge of said lever arm approaches and recedes from said slot, said lever being wide enough so that it is never moved out of the slot, and means within the housing for rocking said lever arm.

4. In a massaging machine, a housing, a slot in said housing, a lever for operating a massaging strap positioned in said slot and pivotally mounted at a point closely adjacent said slot so that an element extending longitudinally of the lever passes alternately in side and outside of the slot during rocking of the lever, and means inside the housing for rocking the lever, said lever being wide enough so that it never moves entirely out of the slot during the rocking movement.

5. In a massaging machine, a housing having a slot therein, a sector like lever mounted for oscillatory movement in said slot towards and away from said housing, the pivot point 

